Vehicle seat

ABSTRACT

A vehicle seat according to the present invention includes: a seat back frame constituting a framework of a seat back; a blower disposed in the seat back; a bracket to which the blower is fixed; and a cover member provided on the rear side of the seat back frame. Herein, the bracket is fixed to the cover member with the seat back frame being held between the bracket and the cover member.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a vehicle seat having an airconditioning function using a blower.

BACKGROUND ART

Conventionally, there is known a car seat with an air conditioningfunction (PTL1); the car seat includes a blower provided in a seat back,and air on the surface of the seat back is forced to flow by the blower.According to the car seat disclosed in PTL1, the blower is fixed to abridge frame bridging right and left side frames of the seat back frame.Further, a duct is fitted into an outlet of the blower; the duct isconnected to an air flow passage formed in the seat back pad.

CITATION LIST Patent Literature

PTL1: Japanese Laid-open Patent Application Publication No. 2013-233860

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

If the blower is directly fixed to a part of the seat back frame such asa bridge frame using bolts, it is necessary to prepare a separatededicated part for fixing the blower, for example, nuts to be welded tothe seat back frame. When there are two specifications of seats to bemanufactured (i.e., seat with an air conditioner and seat without an airconditioner), a dedicated seat back frame for the seat with an airconditioner has to be prepared specifically for its purpose orunnecessary parts such as weld nuts have to be provided for the seatwithout an air conditioner so that the common seat back frame can beused for both specifications of seats.

In view of the above background of the prior art, it is an object of thepresent invention to provide a vehicle seat of which a blower can befixed to the seat back frame with a simple structure.

It is also an object of the present invention to reduce the weight ofthe vehicle seat and to improve the degree of flexibility in designingthe vehicle seat.

Further, it is an object of the present invention to minimize airleakage that would occur between the duct and the blower.

Further, it is an object of the present invention to ease assembly ofthe cover member and the bracket and to protect the duct connected tothe blower.

Further, it is an object of the present invention to fix and protect aharness of the blower using a simple structure.

Further, it is an object of the present invention to easily assemble theblower in a proper position irrespective of manufacturing errors indimensions of the blower.

The present invention proposed to attain one or more of the aboveobjects provides a vehicle seat comprising: a seat back frameconstituting a framework of a seat back; a blower disposed in the seatback; a bracket to which the blower is fixed; and a cover memberprovided on a rear side of the seat back frame. In this vehicle seat,the bracket is fixed to the cover member with the seat back frame beingheld between the bracket and the cover member.

With this configuration, using the cover member provided on the rearside of the seat back frame, the bracket to which the blower is fixedand the cover member sandwich the seat back frame, and the bracket isfixed to the cover member. Therefore, it is not necessary to provideweld nuts or the like required only for fixing the blower, so thatfixing the blower to the seat back frame can be achieved with a simplestructure. As a result, the same seat back frame can be easily renderedready for common use to manufacture two specifications of seats, such asa seat with an air conditioner and a seat without an air conditioner.

In the above vehicle seat, the seat back frame may include: a pair ofside frames laterally spaced apart from each other; an upper frameconnecting upper end portions of the pair of side frames; a lower frameconnecting lower end portions of the pair of side frames; and a bridgeframe connecting the pair of side frames at an intermediate positionbetween the upper frame and the lower frame. Herein, the bracket may befixed to the cover member with the bridge frame being held between thebracket and the cover member.

In the above vehicle seat, the bracket may be made of plastic.

Weight reduction of the bracket can be achieved if the bracket is madeof plastic. Further, since the contour of the bracket can be formedflexibly using plastic, the degree of flexibility in design can beimproved.

The above vehicle seat may further comprise a duct connected to an inletor an outlet of the blower. The duct may include a first openingdisposed at one end and connected to the blower, a second openingdisposed at another end, and a flange provided around the first opening,the blower may include a flat surface portion provided around the inletor the outlet, and the flange may be disposed between the flat surfaceportion and the bracket, and the flange is held between the flat surfaceportion and the bracket by fixing the blower to the bracket.

With this configuration, the flange is held between the bracket and theflat surface portion of the blower, so that air leakage between the ductand the blower can be suppressed.

In the above vehicle seat, the cover member may have a shape of a cupthat opens frontward. Further, in this configuration, the cover membermay include a downwardly extending first claw portion at an upperportion of the cover member, the first claw portion being engageablewith a front side of the seat back frame.

With this configuration, since the cover member can be temporarilyassembled with the seat back frame by engaging the first claw portionwith the front side of the upper portion of the seat back frame, thebracket can be fixed easily to the cover member.

Further, the cover member may include a downwardly extending second clawportion, the second claw portion being disposed rearward of and spacedapart from the first claw portion and configured to receive the seatback frame between the first claw portion and the second claw portion.

With this configuration, since the cover member is temporarily assembledwith the seat back frame by inserting the seat back between the firstclaw portion and the second claw portion, the bracket can be fixed moreeasily to the cover member.

In the above vehicle seat, it is preferable that the cover memberincludes a rib protruding frontward and configured to contact the seatback frame from a rear side of the seat back frame.

With this configuration, the rigidity of the cover member is enhanced bythe rib, so that the duct can be protected effectively. Further, whenthe cover member is temporarily assembled with the seat back frame, therib can be brought into contact with the seat back frame from the rearside of the seat back frame to perform positioning of the cover memberin the front-rear direction. Thus, assembly of the cover member iscarried out with ease.

In the above vehicle seat, it is preferable that the cover member isprovided with an engagement portion to which a harness of the blower isfixed.

With this configuration, the harness of the blower can be fixed to thecover member with ease, and the harness can be protected by the covermember.

In the above vehicle seat, the bracket may include a first boss, asecond boss, and a third boss, which are engageable with the blower andwith which fastening members for fixing the blower are fastened. In thiscase, the blower may include a circular first engagement hole to befitted onto the first boss to position the blower, an elliptic secondengagement hole to be engaged with the second boss to position theblower in a direction orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of thesecond engagement hole, and a third engagement hole to be engaged withthe third boss with a play being present around the third boss

With this configuration, the first boss is fitted into the firstengagement hole whereby positioning of the blower relative to thebracket can be performed, and the second boss is engaged into the secondengagement hole whereby the posture of the blower relative to thebracket can be determined. Further, the second engagement hole has anelliptic shape and the third boss is engageable with the thirdengagement hole with a play being present around the third boss, so thatthe blower can be assembled in a proper position even if the bosses ofthe blower are not precisely formed due to manufacturing error.

In the conventional car seat, the duct could not be fixed to an inlet oran outlet that is formed in a flat surface portion by simply fitting theduct into the inlet or the outlet. For this reason, a separate portionfor fixing the duct, such as a claw portion, is required. Further, ifthe duct is simply engaged with the claw portion, it is difficult tocontrol air leakage that would occur between the duct and the blower.

In view of the above background of the prior art, it is an object of thepresent invention to provide a vehicle seat of which a duct is fixed toan inlet or an outlet formed in a flat surface portion of a blower,while minimizing air leakage with a simple configuration.

The present invention proposed to attain the above object provides avehicle seat comprising: a seat back frame constituting a framework of aseat back; a blower disposed in the seat back; a bracket to which theblower is fixed; and a duct connected to an inlet or an outlet of theblower. In this vehicle seat, the duct has a first opening provided atone side thereof to which the blower is connected, a second openingprovided at another side of the blower, and a flange provided around thefirst opening, the blower includes a flat surface portion around theinlet or the outlet, and the flange is disposed between the flat surfaceportion and the bracket and held between the flat surface portion andthe bracket when the blower is fixed to the bracket.

With this configuration, the flange can be brought into close contactwith the flat surface portion because the flange is held between thebracket and the flat surface portion of the blower. Thus, the duct canbe fixed easily to the inlet or the outlet formed in the flat surfaceportion of the blower without providing a dedicated structure to theblower, while preventing air leakage between the duct and the blower.

In the above vehicle seat, it is preferable that the duct hasflexibility or elasticity. If the duct has flexibility or elasticity,the flange and the flat surface portion are brought into close contactin an improved manner to further prevent air leakage between the ductand the blower.

In the above vehicle seat, it is preferable that the duct has a tubularportion at an edge of the first opening, the tubular portion beingdisposed in the inlet or the outlet.

With this configuration, the tubular portion is disposed in the inlet orthe outlet to further prevent air leakage between the duct and theblower.

In the above vehicle seat, it is preferable that the tubular portion isspaced apart from a blade member of the blower by a predetermineddistance.

This configuration can prevent interference between the tubular portionand the blade member of the blower.

In the above vehicle seat, it is preferable that the duct includes: afirst portion connected to the blower and positioned at one side of thebracket; a second portion extending from the first portion andpositioned at another side of the bracket; and a third portion extendingfrom the second portion and positioned at the one side of the bracket.

With this configuration, when the duct is temporarily assembled with thebracket, the duct is prevented from coming off the bracket, andtherefore the duct and the bracket can be assembled easily with the seatback frame.

In the above vehicle seat, it is preferable that the first opening andthe second opening open in the same direction. In this configuration,the first opening and the second opening may be offset in an upper-lowerdirection. This can cause air to flow efficiently in a narrow space ofthe seat back with a compact configuration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a car seat.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a seat back pad of the carseat of FIG. 1 , from which an upper layer pad is disassembled.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a seat frame.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the seat frame.

FIG. 5(a) is an exploded perspective view of an air conditioner, andFIG. 5(b) is a perspective view showing a rear side of a blower.

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-section explaining how the blower, the duct,and the pad are connected.

FIG. 7 is a front view illustrating the air conditioner assembled withthe seat frame.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the bracket and the duct thathave been assembled temporarily.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the blower, the duct, and the brackettaken along the line Y-Y of FIG. 6 .

FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating the blower, a cover member,and a harness.

FIG. 11 is a diagram of the cover member assembled with the seat frame,as viewed from an obliquely frontward and downward direction.

FIG. 12 is a partial section of the car seat taken along the line X-X ofFIG. 6 .

FIG. 13 is a sectional view of a seat back according to a modifiedembodiment.

FIG. 14 is a sectional view of a bracket according to a modifiedembodiment.

FIG. 15 is a sectional view of a cover member according to a modifiedembodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

One embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail withreference made to the drawings, where necessary. In the followingdescription, front/rear (frontward/rearward), right/left (lateral), andupper/lower (upward/downward or vertical) directions are designated asfrom the view point of an occupant seated on the car seat S.

As seen in FIG. 1 , a car seat S as an example of a vehicle seat isconfigured as a seat installed in a car and having an air conditioningfunction. The car seat S includes a seat back S1 and a seat cushion S2.

The seat back S1 includes a pad P1 and an upper layer pad P2 fitted intothe pad P1.

The pad P1 is made of urethane foam or the like, and has a recessportion 100 (see FIG. 2 ) into which the upper layer pad P2 is fitted.The recess portion 100 is formed in the pad P1 and recessed rearward.

The upper layer pad P2 includes a first pad portion P21 and a second padportion P22, each made of urethane foam or the like; the first padportion P21 and the second pad portion P22 have ventilation holes H1,through which air is drawn in, at appropriate positions in the surfacesthereof. The upper layer pad P2 is flush with the surface of the pad P1when it is fitted into the recess portion 100.

An inversed U-shaped tuck-in groove 120 is formed along an outerperiphery of the recess portion 100 in positions corresponding to anupper end and right and left ends of the first pad portion P21; thetuck-in groove 120 is a groove that allows an outer skin material (notshown) to be tucked in, and the depth thereof is deeper than the recessportion 100. Further, provided at an upper end portion of the tuck-ingroove 120 are a pair or right and left sewing-up portion arrangementgrooves 122, in which sewing-up portions (not shown) of the outer skinmaterial (not shown) are disposed; the sewing-up portion arrangementgrooves 122 extend diagonally outward in the lateral direction from theupper end portion of the tuck-in groove 120. The sewing-up portionarrangement grooves 122 are formed as grooves shallower than the tuck-ingroove 120.

Similarly, the seat cushion S2 includes a pad P3 and an upper layer padP4 fitted into the pad P3. The upper layer pad P4 also has ventilationholes H1 at appropriate positions in the surfaces thereof. The upperlayer pad P4 is flush with the surface of the pad P3 when it is fittedinto the pad P3.

It should be noted that the outer skin material is not illustrated inFIG. 1 , and that the car seat S includes the pad P1 and the upper layerpad P2 of the seat back S1, the pad P3 and the upper layer pad P4 of theseat cushion S2, and the outer skin material having air permeabilitythat covers the seat back S1 and the seat cushion S2, respectively.

As seen in FIG. 2 , in which the upper layer pad P2 has been removed, anair flow passage H2 is formed in the surface of the pad P1; air drawn inthrough the ventilation holes H1 flows through the air flow passage H2to a duct 30 which will be described later.

To be more specific, the recess portion 100 includes a first recessportion 102 provided in a position corresponding to the first padportion P21, and a second recess portion 103 provided in a positioncorresponding to the second pad portion P22. The first recess portion102 and the second recess portion 130 communicate with each other.

The first recess portion 102 extends in an upper-lower direction from acentral portion to a lower portion of the pad P1. A ladder-shaped groove110 extending in the upper-lower direction and a lateral direction isformed within the first recess portion 102, and four protruding portions104 are formed by this ladder-shaped groove 110. In the groove 110,grooves extending between the protruding portions 104 are shallower thangrooves extending in the upper-lower direction.

Further, the first recess portion 102 has a vertical groove 112 formedto extend from an upper end of the groove 110 to an upper end of thefirst recess portion 102. The first recess portion 102 has a depth forsupporting the first pad portion P21 from a rear side of the first padportion P21.

The second recess portion 103 extends in the lateral direction at aposition above the first recess portion 102. The second recess portion103 has a through-opening 106 at a lower right portion thereof; thethrough-opening 106 communicates with a second opening 34 of the duct,which will be described later, and extends through the pad P1 in thefront-rear direction (see FIG. 6 ). Further, a T-shaped groove 114 isformed within the second recess portion 103. The T-shaped groove 114extends to a lower end of the second recess portion 103. Further, atransverse groove 116 extending in the lateral direction is formedwithin the second recess portion 103. The transverse groove 116 extendsfrom the through-hole 106 to a vertical groove of the T-shaped groove114. The second recess portion 103 has a depth for supporting the secondpad portion P22 from a rear side of the second pad portion P22.

Together with the first pad portion P21 and the second pad portion P22fixed to the first recess portion 102 and the second recess portion 103,the ladder-shaped groove 110 and the vertical groove 112 of the firstrecess portion 102 and the T-shaped groove 114 and the transverse groove116 of the second recess portion 103 form the air flow passage H2. Thefirst pad portion P21 and the second pad portion P22 are attached to thefirst recess portion 102 and the second recess portion 103 by adhesive,so that they are fixed to the pad P1.

The ventilation holes H1 of the first pad portion P21 and the second padportion P22 are provided at positions corresponding to the air flowpassage H2, so that air drawn in through the respective ventilationholes H1 flows to the second opening 34 of the duct 30 through the airflow passage H2.

As seen in FIG. 3 , a seat frame F is embedded in the car seat S. Theseat frame F includes a seat back frame F1 constituting a framework ofthe seat back S1, and a cushion frame F2 constituting a framework of theseat cushion S2. The following description will refer to theconfiguration of the seat back S1, and description for the seat cushionS2 will be omitted.

The seat back frame F1 includes a pair of sheet metal frames 12 made bypress working sheet metal and, as parts, laterally spaced apart fromeach other, and a pipe frame 13 made by bending a pipe member into aU-shaped configuration and connected to respective upper ends of thepair of sheet metal frames 12.

The pipe frame 13 includes a pair of right and left upper side frames13A each extending upward from the sheet metal frame 12 and thenslightly slanted inward in the lateral direction. The right and leftsheet metal frames 12 and the right and left upper side frames 13Aconstitute a pair of side frames 11 laterally spaced apart from eachother. Further, the pipe frame 13 includes an upper frame 13B connectingupper end portions of the pair of upper side frames 13A, namely upperend portions of the side frames 11.

Further, the seat back frame F1 includes a lower frame 14 connectinglower end portions of the side frames 11.

An air conditioner AC is provided in the seat back S1. The airconditioner AC functions to draw air in around the surface of the seatback S1 through the ventilation holes H1 of the seat back S1, and thusimplements an air conditioning function for the car seat S.

As seen in FIG. 4 , the seat back frame F1 includes a bridge frame 15 towhich the air conditioner AC is fixed. The bridge frame 15 connects thepair of side frames 11 at an intermediate position between the upperframe 13B and the lower frame 14.

The bridge frame 15 has a plurality of circular holes 15A arranged sideby side, and a rectangular engagement hole 15B disposed rightward of andleftward of the plurality of circular holes 15A. Two circular holes 15Aamong the plurality of circular holes 15A are used as portions intowhich tapping bolts 91 for fixing a bracket 40 (to be described later)are inserted. The engagement holes 15B are formed such that hooks 56 ofa cover member 50 (to be described later) are engageable therewith.

The air conditioner AC includes a blower 20, a duct 30 connected to theblower 20, a bracket 40 to which the blower 20 is fixed, and a covermember 50 provided on a rear side of the seat back frame F1 andconfigured to protect the air conditioner AC, in particular, the duct30, from the rear side. These members are assembled together as will bedescribed later, and the bracket 40 is supported by the bridge frame 15through the tapping bolts 91, so that the blower 20 is fixed to thebracket 40 by the tapping bolts 92 as an example of fastening members.

As seen in FIG. 5(a), the blower 20 is a sirocco fan and includes acasing 21, a blade member 22 disposed in the casing 21, and a motor 26(see FIG. 9 ) for rotating the blade member 22. It should be understoodthat the blower 20 is not limited to a sirocco fan and other types offans such as a propeller fan and a turbo fan may be used instead, andthat the rotational direction of the blower may be reversed so that thesupply air and the intake air can be switched over.

As is well-known in the art, the casing 21 is formed such that an airflow passage provided outside the blade member 22 widens gradually, andat a lower right portion thereof where the air flow passage has themaximum width, the casing 21 has an outlet 21B that opens to the right.The casing 21 may be made of plastic such as PBT (polybutyleneterephthalate).

As seen in FIG. 5(b) illustrating a rear side of the casing 21, thecasing 21 has a circular inlet 21A at a center of the rear side.Further, the casing 21 has a flat surface portion 21Z around the inlet21A; the flat surface portion 21Z faces rearward. Further, as seen inFIG. 5(a), three attachment portions 23A, 23B, 23C provided to protrudeoutward are formed on an outer periphery of the casing 21. Theattachment portion 23A protrudes to an upper left side of the casing 21,the attachment portion 23B protrudes to a generally right side of thecasing 21, and the attachment portion 23C protrudes to a lower left sideof the casing 21. A circular first engagement hole 24A is formed in theattachment portion 23A, a second engagement hole 24B in the shape of anelliptic hole extending in the right-left direction is formed in theattachment portion 23B, and a circular third engagement hole 24C havinga size greater than that of the first engagement hole 24A is formed inthe attachment portion 23C.

As seen in FIG. 6 , the duct 30 is a member connecting the blower 20 andthe air flow passage H2 extending in the pad P1. The air flow passage H2communicates with the ventilation holes H1.

Returning to FIG. 5(a), the duct 30 includes a lateral extension portion31 extending in the lateral direction and positioned on a rear side ofthe bracket 40, and a vertical extension portion 32 extending downwardfrom a right end of the lateral extension portion 31.

The duct 30 has a circular first opening 33 disposed at a left end ofthe lateral extension portion 31 (i.e., one end of the duct 30), and aflange 35 provided around the first opening 33. The first opening 33opens frontward, and the flange 35 extends in all directions around thefirst opening 33. The flange 35 is disposed in a position generally thesame position as of a front surface of the lateral extension portion 31in the front-rear direction. Further, a ridge portion 33A is formedaround an edge of the first opening 33. The ridge portion 33A is formedto have a size to be closely fitted into the inlet 21A of the blower 20.The ridge portion 33A is disposed radially inward of and away from theblade member 22 of the blower 20 by a predetermined distance. For thisreason, interference of the ridge portion 33A with the blade member 22of the blower 20 can be prevented.

The duct 30 has a rectangular second opening 34; the second opening 34opens frontward and is provided at a lower end portion of the verticalextension portion 32 (i.e., another end of the duct 30), at whichportion the vertical extension portion 32 is bent frontward (see FIG. 6). The duct 30 further includes a flange 36 around the second opening34; the flange 36 extends in all directions around the second opening34. A tubular portion 34A protruding frontward is provided around anedge of the second opening 34. The duct 30 is made of a material havingflexibility such as rubber or a material having elasticity such as apolyvinyl chloride sheet. For example, the duct 30 may be produced by ablow molding process of olefinic elastomer. However, the material forthe duct 30 is not limited to this specific material, and any materialsincluding plastics such as polyethylene, and composite materials such asfiber-reinforced plastics may be used irrespective of whether it haselasticity or not. If the first opening 33 is formed by cutting a partof a molded member that is produced by a blow molding process, the ridgeportion 33A may be provided by leaving the uncut portion (i.e., burr)remaining in the vicinity of the first opening 33.

The first opening 33 and the second opening 34 open in the samedirection, that is, in the frontward direction, in this embodiment.Further, the first opening 33 and the second opening 34 are offset inthe upper-lower direction and in the lateral direction. This makes itpossible to cause air to flow efficiently in a narrow space of the seatback S1 with a compact arrangement of the duct 30.

The bracket 40 is produced, for example, by injection molding of plasticsuch as polypropylene. The bracket 40 includes a main body portion 41extending in the right-left direction, an upper portion-support portion42 disposed above the main body portion 41, a first connection portion43A connecting the main body portion 41 and the upper portion-supportportion 42 at a left end portion of the upper portion-support portion42, and a second connection portion 43B connecting the main body portion41 and the upper portion-support portion 42 at a right end portion ofthe upper portion-support portion 42. A through-opening 44 is providedin a space surrounded by the main body portion 41, the upperportion-support portion 42, the first connection portion 43A, and thesecond connection portion 43B.

A front surface of the upper portion-support portion 42, a front surfaceof the first connection portion 43A, and a front surface of the mainbody portion 41 provide a flush surface at a predetermined areaincluding an area corresponding to the flange 35 of the duct 30. Thesecond connection portion 43B is located frontward of this flushsurface.

The bracket 40 includes a first boss 45A, a second boss 45B, and a thirdboss 45C; these first, second and third bosses 45A, 45B, 45C areprovided to protrude frontward from the front surface of the bracket 40and designed for the attachment of the blower 20. Each of the bosses45A, 45B, 45C has a cylindrical tubular configuration, and a hole (shownwithout reference numeral) in which a tapping bolt 92 is engaged isformed in a front end surface thereof. The bosses 45A, 45B, 45C have thesame configuration, and they are disposed in positions corresponding tothe first engagement hole 24A, the second engagement hole 24B, and thethird engagement hole 24C, respectively.

Further, the bracket 40 includes ribs (shown without reference numeral)connecting an outer peripheral surface of each of the bosses 45A, 45B,45C and the front surface of the bracket 40. The ribs face frontward,and front surfaces of the ribs for the respective bosses 45A, 45B, 45Care neatly aligned in their front-rear positions, so that the positionof the blower 20 in the front-rear direction can be determined when theblower 20 is brought into contact with the attachment portions 23A, 23B,23C.

Further, the bracket 40 has a first fixing hole 46A formed in aright-side portion that is located on the right side of the center ofthe main body portion 41, a second fixing hole 46B formed in a left-sideportion that is located on the left side of the center of the main bodyportion 41, and a third fixing hole 46C formed in a right end portion ofthe upper portion-support portion 42. The first, second, and thirdfixing holes 46A, 46B, 46C extend through the bracket 40 in thefront-rear direction. The first, second, and third fixing holes 46A,46B, 46C are portions into which tapping bolts 91 are inserted to fixthe bracket 40 to the cover member 50. The first fixing hole 46A is acircular hole to be fitted onto a boss 54A (see FIG. 10 ) which will bedescribed later, so that the positioning of the bracket 40 at theposition of the first fixing hole 46A can be carried out. The secondfixing hole 46B is an elliptic hole extending long in the right-leftdirection; when a boss 54B (see FIG. 10 ) which will be described lateris engaged in the second fixing hole 46B, the positioning of the boss54B is carried out in the upper-lower direction perpendicular to thelongitudinal direction of the elliptic hole, so that the posture of thebracket 40 relative to the seat back frame F1 can be determined. Thethird fixing hole 46C is a circular hole having a diameter larger thanthat of the first fixing hole 46A, and is engaged with a boss 54C (seeFIG. 10 ) which will be described later, with a play being presentaround the boss 54C.

Further, the bracket 40 includes extension portions 47 provided, forexample, at an upper end portion of the main body portion 41 and at anupper end portion of the upper portion-support portion 42; the extensionportions 47 extend rearward and have harness fixing holes 47A with whicha harness of the blower 20 or a harness of other electrical equipment isfixed.

As seen in FIG. 7 , the first engagement hole 24A is fitted onto theouter periphery of the first boss 45A so that the blower 20 can bepositioned at the first engagement hole 24A in the front-rear directionand in the lateral direction. The second engagement hole 24B is engagedwith the second boss 45B so that the blower 20 can be positioned in adirection perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the secondengagement hole 24B, that is, in the upper-lower direction, and theposture of the blower 20 can be determined. The third engagement hole24C is larger than the first engagement hole 24A, so that the thirdengagement hole 24C can be engaged with the third boss 45C with a playbeing present around the third boss 45C. Accordingly, even if the bosses45A, 45B, 45C of the blower 20 are not precisely formed due tomanufacturing error, the blower 20 can be assembled in a proper positionwith ease.

To assemble the duct 30 shown in FIG. 5 with the bracket 40, the lowerend portion of the vertical extension portion 32, that is, the secondopening 34 side end portion of the vertical extension portion 32 isinserted into the through-hole 44 of the bracket 40 from the front sideto the rear side of the bracket 40, followed by pulling the duct 35until the flange 35 approaches the periphery of the through-hole 44, andmaking the vertical extension portion 32 to go around to the front sideof the right-side portion of the bracket 40 as shown in FIG. 8 . In thisstate, as shown in the sectional view of FIG. 9 , the flange 35 islocated on the front side (at one side) of a peripheral portion aroundthe through-hole 44 of the bracket 40, and the lateral extension portion31 extends out from the flange 35 and is located on the rear side (atanother side) of the second connection portion 43B of the bracket 40,and the vertical extension portion 32 extends out from the lateralextension portion 31 and is located on the front side (at one side) ofthe bracket 40. In other words, the flange 35 is exemplified as anexample of a first portion, the lateral extension portion 31 isexemplified as an example of a second portion, and the verticalextension portion 32 is exemplified as an example of a third portion.

As described above, the flange 35 is located on the front side of thebracket 40, the lateral extension portion 31 is located on the rear sideof the bracket 40, and the vertical extension portion 32 is located onthe front side of the bracket 40, so that when the duct 30 istemporarily assembled with the bracket 40, it is possible to prevent theduct 30 from coming off the bracket 40. Therefore, the duct 30 and thebracket 40 can be assembled easily with the seat back frame F1.

As seen in FIG. 10 , the cover member 50 includes a main body portion51, a locking claw portion 52 provided on a laterally central upper endportion of the main body portion 51, ribs 53A, 53B, bosses 54A, 54B,54C, engagement portions 55 for fixing a harness, and hooks 56.

The main body portion 51 has right and left flange portions and an upperflange portion each extending frontward; accordingly, the main bodyportion 51 has a cup-shaped configuration that opens frontward.

The locking claw portion 52 includes a first claw portion 52A extendingdown from an upper end of the main body portion 51 at a front side ofthe main body portion 51, and a second claw portion 52B disposed on therear side of and spaced apart from the first claw portion 52A andextending down from an upper end portion of the main body portion 51.The first claw portion 52A is disposed to be engageable with the frontside of the upper frame 13B of the seat back frame F1. The second clawportion 52B is spaced apart from the first claw portion 52A by adistance corresponding to the thickness of the upper frame 13B, suchthat the seat back frame F1 can be received between the first clawportion 52A and the second claw portion 52B. With this configuration,the cover member 50 can be hooked on the upper frame 13B by insertingthe upper frame 13B between the first claw portion 52A and the secondclaw portion 52B (see FIG. 6 and FIG. 11 ).

The ribs 53A are formed to protrude frontward from a lower portion ofthe front surface (inner surface) of the main body portion 51; the ribs53A are disposed and sized to contact the bridge frame 15 of the seatback frame F1 from the rear side of the bride frame 15 (see FIG. 6 ).

The ribs 53B are provided on right and left end portions of the frontsurface of the main body portion 51 to protrude frontward. As seen inFIG. 11 , the ribs 53B are disposed and sized to contact the upper sideframes 13A of the seat back frame F1.

As seen in FIG. 10 , each of the bosses 54A, 54B, 54C has a cylindricalconfiguration and extends from the inner surface of the main bodyportion 51. Each of the bosses 54A, 54B, 54C has a front end surfacehaving a hole (shown without reference numeral) into which a tappingbolt 91 is inserted to fix the bracket 40 to the seat back frame F1. Thebosses 54A, 54B, 54C have the same configuration, and they are disposedin positions corresponding to the first fixing hole 46A, the secondfixing hole 46B, and the third fixing hole 46C of the bracket 40.

The cover member 50 includes ribs (shown without reference numeral)provided to connect the outer peripheral surface of each of the bosses54A, 54B, 54C and the front surface of the main body portion 51. Theboss 54A and the boss 54B are also connected to the ribs 53A.

Four engagement portions 55 are disposed generally on a vertical centerportion of the front surface of the main body portion 51 and laterallyspaced apart from each other. Each of the engagement portions 55includes a pair of claw portions vertically spaced apart and protrudingfrontward, and an opening extends through the cover member 50 in thefront-rear direction are provided between the pair of claw portions.

The hooks 56 protrude frontward from the front surface of the main bodyportion 51. The hooks 56 are flexible in the lateral direction and eachhave a claw portion (shown without reference numeral) protrudinglaterally inward.

The cover member 50 may be produced, for example, by injection moldingof plastic such as polypropylene.

The harness for connecting the blower 20 to a controller (not shown)includes a first cable 81 extending out from the blower 20, and a secondcable 82 connected to the first cable 81. The first cable 81 has an endto which a connector 81A is provided. The second cable 82 has an end towhich a connector 82A connected to the connector 81A is provided, andfour locking members 82B are fixed to intermediate positions of thesecond cable 82 with pitches corresponding to those of the engagementportions 55. The first cable 81 is pulled out to the right side from theblower 20, and the connector 81A is connected to the connector 82A. Thesecond cable 82 extends to the right side from its connector 81A sideend portion, and is then folded to make a 180-degree turn (U-shapedturn) and routed to the left side with the respective locking members82B engaged with the corresponding engagement portions 55 (not shown).Further, a left end portion of the second cable 82 is routed to thelower side and connected to the controller (not shown).

To assemble the bracket 40 with the seat back frame F1, the cover member50 is hooked on the upper frame 13B by moving the upper frame 13B suchthat the upper frame 13B is received between the first claw portion 52Aand the second claw portion 52B of the cover member 50. Next, the covermember 50 is pushed frontward, so that as seen in FIG. 11 , the hooks 56are inserted into and thus engaged with the engagement holes 15B. Inthis position, the ribs 53B are brought into contact with the upper sideframes 13A, and as seen in FIG. 12 , the ribs 53A are brought intocontact with the bridge frame 15, so that the cover member 50 ispositioned and temporarily assembled with the seat back frame F1.Thereafter, the bosses 54A, 54B are inserted into two circular holes 15Aof the bridge frame 15. Further, the bracket 40 is fixed to the bridgeframe 15 by inserting a tapping bolt 91 into the second fixing hole 46Band one circular hole 15A of the bridge frame 15 and screwing the tapingbolt 91 into the hole of the boss 54B. Namely, the bracket 40 is fixedto the cover member 50 with the bridge frame 15 sandwiched and thus heldbetween the bracket 40 and the cover member 50, so that the bracket 40is fixed indirectly to the bridge frame 15 (i.e., seat back frame F1).

The bracket 40 is fixed to the boss 54A around the first fixing hole 46Aby the same manner as shown in FIG. 12 , in which the bracket 40 isfixed to the boss 54B around the second fixing hole 46B. Further, thebracket 40 is fixed to the boss 54C around the third fixing hole 46C byinserting a tapping bolt 91 into the third fixing hole 46C and screwingthe tapping bolt 91 into the hole of the boss 54C. Accordingly, thebracket 40 is fixed to the cover member 50.

Next, to assemble the blower 20 with the bracket 40, the flat surfaceportion 21Z of the blower 20 is brought into close contact with theflange 35 as seen in FIG. 9 . Then, while the flange 35 is held betweenblower 20 and the bracket 40, tapping bolts 92 are inserted into thefirst engagement hole 24A of the attachment portion 23A, the secondengagement hole 24B of the attachment portion 23B, and the thirdengagement hole 24C of the attachment portion 23C, respectively, and thetaping bolts 92 are screwed into the corresponding holes of the firstboss 45A, the second boss 45B, and the third boss 45C. Accordingly, theflange 35 of the duct 30 is disposed between the flat surface portion21Z and the bracket 40, and when the blower 20 is fixed to the bracket40, the flange 35 of the duct 30 is held between the flat surfaceportion 21Z and the bracket 40.

According to the car seat S configured as described above, the followingadvantageous effects can be obtained.

Since the bracket 40 for securing the blower 20 is fixed to the covermember 50 with the bridge frame 15 of the seat back frame F1 being heldbetween the bracket 40 and the cover member 50 provided on the rear sideof the seat back frame F1, it is not necessary that dedicated parts forfixing the blower 20, such as nuts, be provided to the bridge frame 15.Accordingly, the blower 20 can be fixed to the seat back frame F1 with asimple structure. As a result, the same seat back frame F1 can be easilymade ready for use to manufacture two specifications of seats, such as aseat with an air conditioner and a seat without an air conditioner.

Since the bracket 40 is made of plastic, weight reduction of the bracket40 can be achieved. Further, since the contour of the bracket 40 can beshaped flexibly using plastic, the degree of flexibility in designingthe bracket 40 can be improved.

Since the flange 35 is held between the bracket 40 and the flat surfaceportion 21Z of the blower 20, the flange 35 is brought into closecontact with the flat surface portion 21Z, so that air leakage betweenthe duct 30 and the blower 20 can be suppressed. With thisconfiguration, the duct 30 can be fixed easily to the inlet 21A of theblower 20 without providing a dedicated structure to the blower 20.Further, since the duct 30 has elasticity, the degree of close contactbetween the flange 35 and the flat surface portion 21Z is improved, sothat air leakage between the duct 30 and the blower 20 can be suppressedfurther.

Further, since the duct 30 includes the ridge portion 33A that isdisposed in the inlet 21A, air leakage between the duct 30 and theblower 20 can be suppressed further.

Further, since the cover member 50 is temporarily assembled with theseat back frame F1 by engaging the first claw portion 52A with the upperframe 13B of the seat back frame F1, more specifically, with the seatback frame F1 being sandwiched between the first claw portion 52A andthe second claw portion 52B, the bracket 40 can be fixed easily to thecover member 50.

Further, the rigidity of the cover member 50 is enhanced by the ribs53A, 53B, so that the duct 30 can be protected effectively by the covermember 50. Further, when the cover member 50 is temporarily assembledwith the seat back frame F1, the ribs 53A, 53B can be brought intocontact with the seat back frame F1 from the rear side of the seat backframe F1 to perform the positioning of the cover member 50 in thefront-rear direction. Accordingly, assembly of the cover member 50 iscarried out with ease.

Further, the second cable 82 of the blower 20 can be fixed easily to thecover member 50 with the engagement portions 55 of the cover member 50,and the second cable 82 can be protected by the cover member 50.Accordingly, a malfunction such as breaking or electrical shorting ofthe second cable 82 can be suppressed, and the workability forassembling the second cable 82 can be improved as well.

Further, the first boss 45A is fitted into the first engagement hole 24Awhereby positioning of the blower 20 relative to the bracket 40 can beperformed, and the second boss 45B is engaged into the second engagementhole 24B whereby the posture of the blower 20 relative to the bracket 40can be determined. Further, the second engagement hole 24B has anelliptic shape and the third boss 45C is engageable with the thirdengagement hole 24C with a play being present around the third boss 45C,so that the blower 20 can be assembled in a proper position even if thebosses 45A, 45B, 45C of the blower 20 are not precisely formed due tomanufacturing error.

Although one preferred embodiment of the present invention has beendescribed above, the present invention is not limited to theabove-described embodiment. It is to be understood that various changesand modifications may be made to any of the specific configurationswhere necessary without departing from the gist of the presentinvention.

For example, the locking claw portion 52 is disposed on the upper endportion of the cover member 50. However, as long as the locking clawportion 52 is disposed above the center of gravity of the cover member50, the locking claw portion 52 may be disposed at a position to someextent lower than the upper end portion. With this configuration, thecover member 50 can be hooked stably on the upper frame 13B. The secondclaw portion 52B is optional and may not be provided; however, providingthe second claw portion 52B to be spaced apart from the first clawportion 52A by a distance corresponding to the thickness of the upperframe 13B makes it possible to position the cover member 50 generally ina proper position by simply hooking the locking claw portion 52 on theupper frame 13B.

In the above embodiment, the U-shaped bent pipe frame 13 is adopted tothe upper end portion of the seat back frame F1. However, the seat backframe may be made by press working sheet metal.

To be more specific, as seen in FIG. 13 , the seat back frame 130includes a pair of right and left side frames 132 each having an upperportion bent inwardly in the lateral direction, an upper frame 134connected to upper end portions of the pair of side frames 132, and alower frame 140 connected to lower end portions of the pair of sideframes 132.

The upper frame 134 includes an upper member 135 and a lower member 136that are made respectively by press working. The upper member 135 areconnected to the upper end portions of the pair of right and left sideframes 132 by spot welding. The lower member 136 is located below theupper member 135 and connected to side surfaces of the pair of rightleft side frames 132 and to the upper member 135 by spot welding.Provided between the upper member 135 and the lower member 136 is anopening 138 through which the locking claw portion 52 of the covermember 50 is hooked on the lower member 136.

The lower frame 140 includes a main member 142 and an auxiliary member144 that are made respectively by press working. The lower frame 140 isconnected to lower end portions of the pair of right and left sideframes 132 by spot welding.

In the seat back frame 130 configured as described above, the bridgeframe 15 is disposed between the upper frame 134 and the lower frame140.

As with the above-described embodiment, to assemble the blower 20, theduct 30, and the bracket 40 together, the cover member 50 is fixed tothe bridge frame 15 with the locking claw portion 52 hooked on the lowermember 136 through the opening 138, and the bracket 40 is fixed to thecover member 50 with the bridge frame 15 being sandwiched and heldbetween the bracket 40 and the cover member 50. Further, the blower 20and the duct 30 are fixed to the bracket 40, and the second opening 34of the duct 30 is connected to the through-opening 106 formed in thesecond recess portion 103 of the pad P1.

Further, to reduce the weight of the bracket 40 according to thisembodiment, the bracket 40 may optionally has lightening holes.

For example, as seen in FIG. 14 , the main body portion 41 of thebracket 40 has two openings 48A arranged side by side, at its centralportion (below the through-opening 44). The main body portion 41 furtherhas an opening 48B on each of right and left sides thereof (at positionsabove the first fixing hole 46A and the second fixing hole 46B).

Further, to compensate for the decrease in rigidity of the bracket 40due to formation of the openings 48A, three reinforcement ribs 49Aextending in the upper-lower direction are provided on the centralportion of the main body portion 41, at positions between and outside ofthe two openings 48A. Similarly, to compensate for the decrease inrigidity of the bracket 40 due to formation of the openings 48B, themain body portion 41 includes at its right side a reinforcement rib 49Bprovided in proximity to the opening 48B and extending in the right-leftdirection, and at its left side a reinforcement rib 49C provided inproximity to the opening 48B and extending in the upper-lower direction.

Similarly, to reduce the weight of the cover member 50 according to theabove-described embodiment, the cover member 50 may optionally havelightening holes.

For example, as seen in FIG. 15 , the cover member 50 has two openings58A on right and left sides of the boss 54C, and two openings 58B atpositions outside of the hooks 56.

Further, to compensate for the decrease in rigidity of the cover member50 due to formation of the openings 58A, the main body portion 51includes four reinforcement ribs 59A provided on right and left sides ofthe locking claw portion 52 at positions above and outside of the twoopenings 58A, and a pair of upper and lower reinforcement ribs 59Bprovided between the two openings 58A and the engagement portions 55.The reinforcement ribs 59A extend in the upper-lower direction, and thereinforcement ribs 59B extend in the lateral direction. Similarly, tocompensate for the decrease in rigidity of the cover member 50 due toformation of the openings 58B, the main body portion 51 includesreinforcement ribs 59C provided below the openings 58B and extending inthe lateral direction.

In the above-described embodiment, the air conditioner provided in theseat back has been described. However, the air conditioner may beprovided in the seat cushion. In this configuration, the blower and thebracket may be fixed to the seat frame as with those fixed to the seatback in the above-describe embodiment. The same can be applied to thestructure for fixing the duct to the bracket and the blower.

In the above-described embodiment, the air conditioner is configuredsuch that the blower draws air in from the surface of the seat backthrough the duct. However, the present invention is applicable to an airconditioner in which the blower blows air out from the surface of theseat back through the duct. In this configuration, the flat surfaceportion may be provided around an outlet of air, and the flange of theduct is contacted with the flat surface portion to connect the duct tothe blower with the flange being held between the bracket and the fan.

In the above-described embodiment, the bracket 40 is fixed to the covermember 50 with the tapping bolts 91, and the blower 20 is fixed to thebracket 40 with the tapping bolts 92. However, simple plug-in clips maybe used in place of the tapping bolts 91, 92. As an alternative, thebracket 40 may be fixed to the cover member 50 by welding bossesprovided on one of the bracket 40 and the cover member 50 to the otherone of the bracket 40 and the cover member 50.

In the above-described embodiment, the bracket 40 is first fixed to theseat frame F, and thereafter the blower 20 is fixed to the bracket 40.However, the blower 20 may be first fixed to the bracket 40, and thenthe assembly of the blower 20 and the bracket 40 may be fixed to theseat frame F.

In the above-described embodiment, the bracket 40 is fixed to the bridgeframe 15 of the seat back frame F1. However, the bracket 40 may be fixedto a portion of the seat back frame F other than the bridge frame 15.

In the above-described embodiment, a car seat used in an automobile hasbeen illustrated as an example of a vehicle seat. However, the vehicleseat may be any other seat used in other vehicles, such as rail cars,aircraft and ships.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for manufacturing a vehicle seatwith a blower disposed in a seat back comprising: placing a cover memberon a rear side of a seat back frame that is a framework of the seatback; fixing a bracket for attaching the blower to the cover member withthe seat back frame being held between the bracket and the cover member;and fixing the blower to the bracket.
 2. The method according to claim1, wherein the blower is fixed to the bracket at at least two pointspositioned above a center of rotation of the blower.
 3. The methodaccording to claim 1, further comprising fixing a harness of the blowerwith a harness fixing hole formed in the bracket.
 4. The methodaccording to claim 1, further comprising fixing a harness of the blowerwith a harness fixing hole formed in an extension portion of thebracket, the extension portion extending rearward from an upper end ofthe bracket.
 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the seat backframe comprises: a pair of side frames laterally spaced apart from eachother; an upper frame connecting upper end portions of the pair of sideframes; a lower frame connecting lower end portions of the pair of sideframes; and a bridge frame connecting the pair of side frames at anintermediate position between the upper frame and the lower frame, andwherein the fixing the bracket to the cover member comprises placing thebracket in such a position that the bridge frame is held between thebracket and the cover member.
 6. The method according to claim 1,further comprising providing a bracket made of plastic as the bracketfor attachment of the blower.
 7. The method according to claim 1,further comprising: providing a duct including a first opening disposedat one end, a second opening disposed at another end, and a flangeprovided around the first opening; and connecting the first opening ofthe duct to an inlet or an outlet of the blower, wherein the fixing theblower to the bracket comprises placing the flange of the duct between aflat surface portion of the blower provided around the inlet or theoutlet and the bracket.
 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein thecover member has a cup shape that opens frontward.
 9. The methodaccording to claim 1, further comprising engaging a first claw portionof the cover member with a front side of the seat back frame, the firstclaw portion extending downwardly from an upper portion of the covermember.
 10. The method according to claim 9, further comprisingreceiving the seat back frame between the first claw portion and asecond claw portion of the cover member, the second claw portionextending downwardly from an upper portion of the cover member and beingdisposed rearward of and spaced apart from the first claw portion. 11.The method according to claim 1, wherein the cover member includes a ribprotruding frontward to contact the seat back frame from a rear side ofthe seat back frame.
 12. The method according to claim 1, furthercomprising: providing an engagement portion on the cover member; andfixing a harness of the blower to the cover member with the engagementportion thereof.
 13. The method according to claim 7, furthercomprising: fitting a circular first engagement hole formed in theblower onto a first boss of the bracket to position the blower; engagingan elliptic second engagement hole formed in the blower with a secondboss of the bracket to position the blower in a direction orthogonal toa longitudinal direction of the second engagement hole; engaging a thirdengagement hole with a third boss of the bracket with a play beingpresent around the third boss; and fastening fastening members in thefirst boss, the second boss, and the third boss to fix the blower to thebracket.
 14. The method according to claim 7, wherein the duct hasflexibility or elasticity.
 15. The method according to claim 7, furthercomprising disposing a tubular portion of the duct in the inlet or theoutlet, the tubular portion being formed at an edge of the firstopening.
 16. The method according to claim 15, further comprisingspacing the tubular portion apart from a blade member of the blower by apredetermined distance.
 17. The method according to claim 7, wherein theduct includes: a first portion connected to the blower and positioned ata first side of the bracket; a second portion extending from the firstportion and positioned at a second side of the bracket; and a thirdportion extending from the second portion and positioned at the firstside of the bracket.
 18. The method according to claim 7, wherein thefirst opening and the second opening open in the same direction.
 19. Themethod according to claim 6, wherein the first opening and the secondopening are offset in an upper-lower direction.